What New Form of Historical Cinema Does Keishi Otomo Depict?
Historical works in Japanese cinema have taken many forms, including period dramas and biographical films. Director Keishi Otomo, however, depicts history and human drama through new perspectives and visual expression, unbound by established historical film conventions.
In Ryomaden (2010), he portrayed the late-Edo hero Sakamoto Ryoma with thorough realism. In Beneath the Shadow (2020), he constructed a quiet, profound human drama against Tohoku landscapes rich in historical context.
Through these works, this article explores Otomo’s approach to historical cinema and the appeal of the human drama he depicts.
1. Ryomaden: The Real Life of Revolutionary Sakamoto Ryoma
The historical television drama Ryomaden attracted attention for innovative direction that went beyond conventional period drama. Ryoma had often been portrayed as a cheerful, energetic hero, but Otomo deliberately focused on him as an ordinary human being.
① Direction in Pursuit of Realism
Ryomaden is characterized by images so raw that one can almost smell the mud and sweat. Instead of the orderly sets of conventional period dramas, it uses natural light and recreates dusty, rough streets. This brings out the reality of the chaotic final years of the Edo period.
② A Sakamoto Ryoma Who Breaks the Mold
Masaharu Fukuyama’s Ryoma is portrayed as a young man carrying doubts and conflicts rather than a conventional heroic figure. His human weakness and growth are particularly realistic in scenes where he loses companions or works tirelessly toward the restoration of political power to the emperor.
2. Beneath the Shadow: Shadows Hidden Within Modern History
Adapted from Shinsuke Numata’s Akutagawa Prize-winning work, Beneath the Shadow is Otomo’s first contemporary drama. Quietly depicting the reunion and separation of two men against the shadow of the Great East Japan Earthquake, it takes a different approach from historical cinema while highlighting Otomo’s distinctive visual beauty that reflects history.
① Visual Beauty Drawing on Tohoku Landscapes
In Beneath the Shadow, Tohoku’s natural scenery and streets function as storytellers. Silent snow-covered landscapes, coastlines battered by rough waves, and empty towns after the disaster closely connect with the characters’ emotions and give the work a distinctive atmosphere.
② Ordinary People Living Within History
While many historical films depict heroes and political events, Beneath the Shadow deliberately focuses on ordinary people on history’s margins. Following the earthquake, protagonist Konno (Go Ayano) searches for his former friend Hiasa (Ryuhei Matsuda). What emerges along the way is the story of small lives hidden in history’s shadow.
3. Human Drama Shared by Keishi Otomo’s Historical Works
Ryomaden and Beneath the Shadow differ in period and genre, but both carefully portray people living within history.
① Letting Audiences Experience History Rather Than Simply Hear It
Otomo’s work uses images and performances to give audiences a sense of living in the period, rather than presenting history to them one-sidedly. Ryomaden, for example, frequently uses camerawork that follows Ryoma’s gaze, allowing viewers to feel they are living through the late Edo period alongside him.
② Depicting People at the Mercy of History
Beneath the Shadow shows its characters searching for their own paths amid the enormous event of the earthquake. Otomo places importance on viewing history from the perspectives of ordinary people as well as its heroes.
Conclusion: New Possibilities for Historical Cinema Created by Keishi Otomo
Keishi Otomo pursued realism beyond conventional period drama in Ryomaden and quietly depicted people living in history’s shadow in Beneath the Shadow. His work asks what history means to those of us alive today, instead of treating it simply as past events.
Watching Ryomaden gives a vivid sense of how Sakamoto Ryoma moved history, while Beneath the Shadow can make us realize that history is also present in the contemporary world we inhabit.
If you are interested in historical cinema, watch these two works. Keishi Otomo’s new forms of history are sure to surprise you.
